There’s nothing quite like basketball season.
Turning on the TV whenever we want and marveling as the best players in the world put on a show is a treat. Watching the Celtics play never gets old, and each season brings a new flavor.
This year is particularly intriguing, for obvious reasons, as they enter a new era with Just the Jay.
Here are 10 things I’m looking forward to as the action begins tonight:
1) A full season of Jayson Tatum
I think we can all agree Jayson Tatum looked even better than we expected
when he returned at the end of last season. At the same time, we collectively held our breaths every time he did anything. This year, it will be fun to see Tatum play freely, without any inhibition, and run the operation. He’s ready to remind everyone exactly who he is.
2) Paul George silencing the haters
We need to collectively agree to not compare Paul George to Jaylen Brown. If we do, there’s a very good chance he’ll fall short of our expectations. If we don’t, and we view him as a reliable, sharp-shooting, 36-year-old key contributor, I believe he’ll meet or possibly even exceed our expectations. The key, of course, is health, but I genuinely believe he’ll have a great season.
3) Derrick White shooting the lights out
Derrick White would be the first to admit he didn’t shoot the way he wanted to last year. I expect his splits to rise significantly this season, with a full offseason of work behind him and Jayson Tatum setting him up for high-quality looks. White is arguably the biggest X-factor on the team, and I’m confident he’ll bounce back as a shooter while continuing to excel everywhere else.
4) Battle among the bigs
It will be fun to see who earns coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust – both to start games and finish them – between Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson. Both will play, and both will contribute at a high level, but it will be an entertaining subplot to see how it shakes out. My guess is it will depend on the matchup, but Robinson will start more than Queta and Queta will close more than Robinson.
5) No need to pace themselves
The Celtics finished last in pace (97.7) a season ago, and it will be interesting to see if they make a conscious choice to up that number this season. Pace doesn’t equate to good, and lack of pace doesn’t equate to bad, but there is a case to be made that they should play with more of it. At the same time, the Celtics got older this offseason, with George, Robinson and Mike Conley Jr., so it’s possible they’ll stay right where they are. It may take some time to figure out what works best, and that’s OK.
6) Taking the next step
It will be a joy to watch players like Baylor Scheierman, Hugo González, Ron Harper Jr. and Jordan Walsh take the next step. My guess is Scheierman and Harper Jr. make the most significant leaps, but all four are fully capable of taking their games to another level. Scheierman and Tatum is a pairing I want to see a lot of this season.
7) Jockeying with Jaylen
Celtics-76ers games are going to be extremely intense. Watching Tatum vs. Brown will be must-see TV, and oh yeah, LeBron James is there, too. The 76ers are the more talented team, but talent doesn’t always equate to wins. Plus, the Celtics are the deeper team and have more experience playing with one another. I have a hunch they’re going to meet in the playoffs as well and it’s going to live up to the hype.
8) Rookie respect
While it’s unlikely Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell will see heavy minutes, they do have a chance to see some. Cenac, in particular, is a very intriguing player who moves well for his size, can block shots and has shown he’s capable of stepping out and hitting 3-pointers. Mitchell is a high flyer who may occasionally enter as a defensive stopper. Both have a solid chance to blossom into strong NBA players long term.
9) AJ Dybantsa at TD Garden
Brockton’s own AJ Dybantsa will play back-to-back games at TD Garden in mid-December. I think the Wizards are going to be better than people expect if they stay healthy, and that’s one of the sneaky great schedule quirks of the season. He likely won’t sleep in his childhood bed, but he will get to play in front of family and friends twice in a row. Don’t sleep on those matchups.
10) Something to prove
The final one is simple: The Celtics have a chance to prove they’re better than people think. I’m not entirely sure why people are doubting them this season, but in a way, those seasons are more fun than when expectations are extremely high. I think the 76ers and Knicks are a bit better on paper, but the Celtics have as good a chance as anyone at knocking them off. The vibes were immaculate last season, and I expect that to continue this year. The wait is over. Basketball is back, baby.
